The Government Should Provide 85 Percent of Housing Costs as Loans / Nikzad's Criticism of the Views of Those Who Negate Government Housing Construction

According to ILNA's economic correspondent, Ali Nikzad, the vice-chairman of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, at the unveiling ceremony of the “Sakhtar” system at the Housing Foundation of the Islamic Revolution, stated: The step the Housing Foundation has taken in the field of technology development, which is to be placed at the disposal of village administrators and decision-making officials in the provinces, is effective.

He added: The use of technology to identify the location and the status of land uses can help improve decision-making and the management of rural affairs.

The vice-chairman of the parliament, referring to the position of the Housing Foundation of the Islamic Revolution in the country's housing development, said: One of the first economic messages of the great Leader of the Islamic Revolution was devoted to the subject of the Housing Foundation and providing homes for workers and the people. The Housing Foundation, throughout its activity, has also been a well-reputed institution and has provided valuable services.

Nikzad, criticizing the views that negate housing construction by the government and consider its responsibility solely upon the people, stated: Those who believe the government should not build housing and the people must take action themselves should visit the Housing Foundation and see the performance of this institution.

He continued: The Housing Foundation has registered a record of building 200,000 housing units, and now too, with the system and structure at its disposal, the possibility has been provided for 200,000 rural housing units to be built. In this process, the Housing Foundation leads the work, and the rural engineering system also stands alongside the people.

The vice-chairman of the parliament, referring to the role of contractors in rural housing construction, said: The contractors active in this field are also honorable people, but in the end, the government and the Housing Foundation, using the existing capacities, lead the construction process and control it in several stages. This is an important strength in rural housing construction.

Nikzad, referring to the Housing Foundation's measures in the field of retrofitting rural units, stated: In the past, the occurrence of earthquakes with magnitudes of about 5.2 or 5.4 on the Richter scale in various parts of the country was usually accompanied by loss of life, but today, thanks to the Housing Foundation's measures in the field of retrofitting, conditions have changed.

He added: The Housing Foundation has also had a remarkable performance in the field of post-earthquake reconstruction and has carried out great measures. Today, with the leadership of the Housing Foundation and the rural engineering system, there is no fundamental problem in the field of housing construction by villagers; of course, the full realization of this capacity depends on the provision of the necessary conditions by the government.

The vice-chairman of the parliament, emphasizing the necessity of financial support for villagers, said: Our expectation of the government is that it provide the necessary loans for building rural housing. The government must act in such a way that about 75 to 80 percent of the cost of building a 60-meter house is placed at the people's disposal.

He continued: If the government can provide loans equivalent to 85 percent of the cost of building a 60-meter rural housing unit, the ground for people's remaining in the villages will be provided, and villagers will be able, relying on these resources, to build houses for themselves.

Nikzad, referring to the importance of providing housing alongside strengthening the village economy, stated: In villages, housing is one of the main issues alongside the rural economy. The Housing Foundation can provide a special service to the population of more than 20 million in the country's villages and provide the ground for them to become homeowners.

He added: What is wrong with land and housing being placed at the people's disposal in villages at a low price? Also, in villages where the possibility of annexing land exists, the ground for housing construction must be provided for married people or those on the verge of marriage.

Nikzad, referring to the Housing Foundation's powers in the field of land provision, stated: The legislator, especially the parliament's Civil Commission, has given powers to the Housing Foundation, and this institution can take action in the field of preparing and annexing land to village limits.

He added: When the Housing Foundation has the possibility of preparing and annexing land, and the subject can also be examined and approved in the relevant commissions, it should not be that in villages, despite the land, the possibility of house-building for the people is not provided.

The vice-chairman of the parliament emphasized: The civil deputies of the governorates must definitely cooperate with the Housing Foundation, and the government too must, through the Ministry of Interior, emphasize to the civil deputies of the governorates that they cooperate with the Housing Foundation in the field of annexing land to village limits.

He, stating that the Housing Foundation can, by implementing this program, provide the ground for villagers to become homeowners, said: If the government places cheap loans at the people's disposal and the executive institutions also cooperate in providing land, the possibility of building housing for villagers will be provided.

Nikzad, emphasizing the necessity of implementing the rural housing construction program, noted: If the government provides the necessary loans and the Housing Foundation also performs its duties, it should be possible to expect that more than 200,000 housing units will be built, the price of land in villages will decrease, families will not face a housing problem for marriage, and population retention in villages will increase.

He added: If these goals are not realized, the Housing Foundation must be held to account; but it is not acceptable that the government does not provide the necessary loans, or that people in villages do not even have access to a 100-meter land for building a house.

Source: ILNA News Agency